Shattered Emotions
by Flickers-2002
Summary: Summary really doesn't do it justice *sigh* PLEASE REVIEW!!!!
1. Default Chapter

"Maria, are you all set for our trip tomorrow?" Liz asked as the two of them walked through the school.   
  
"Am I ever? Just think of this trip as an escape from all the bull we have to put up with here in Roswell. We're going to leave it all behind and have a fun best friends-only weekend!" she said as she wrapped her arm around Liz's shoulder. They turned the corner and stopped at Maria's locker. "This is going to be so much fun. I'm so glad that your parents gave you permission! We are going to have a blast!"   
  
"Yeah, well they're going to be out of town this weekend so they knew I wasn't going to stay home all weekend long! Besides what could be safer than taking a trip to Arizona with my best friend?"   
They both cracked up. They had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. There was going to be a big state-sponsored concert in Carlsbad Caverns for three days straight. It was sort of like a teen version of Woodstock except that there would be hundreds of guards and no alcohol. The two had promised each other that if anything like this ever took place within driving distance that they would be the first there and this was their chance to fulfill it.   
  
"Hey, if we want to make it there in time to get the best spot, then we'd better leave early."   
  
"Yeah, hmm how about 5 o'clock?" Liz asked just as she was about to enter her Biology class.   
  
"Okay, sounds fine. I know I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. I still have to dig that old tent out of the garage. I'm off work tonight and I've got to talk my mom out of going out with this new goon she's found so I'll probably won't see you again till tomorrow- BE READY!" said Maria as she turned to leave.   
  
"All right, bye!" Liz entered the classroom and sat down at her lab desk. She began thinking about how much her life had changed since she found out that alie- um... Czecklovakians existed in Roswell. It had been over a year since she was almost killed and brought back to life by Max...Max Evans. Just the name sent tingles up her spine-good, warm and fuzzy tingles. She loved him so much that it hurt. It had torn her apart to tell him she didn't though. But she had to do it- the Max from the future had made it clear. The fate of the world rested on her shoulders. She had to break away from him...and send him flying into the arms of Tess. But at least now they could be friends; there was a time when he couldn't even look at her- his soul full of hurt. Hurt she had created. If only she could tell him...   
  
She felt someone's arm on her shoulder. She didn't even have to look up- she knew it was Max. She'd know his touch anywhere. Her heart skipped a beat. "How have you been?" he asked as he sat down next to her.   
  
"Well, pretty good actually. Having no school tomorrow will give everyone a chance to unwind. That's always good news don't you think?" she asked struggling to make small talk without looking like an idiot. Oh wow! Liz Parker- Queen of small talk...hah...no school tomorrow...great.   
"Listen Liz, I wanted to ask you-" Before he could finish, Mr. Whitteman had begun class and was on the beginning of a very, very long lecture. Liz could tell that Max had felt uncomfortable with whatever he was going to say.   
  
An hour and a half later with a boring lecture in between, the bell rang meaning school was out for the day. Before Liz had a chance to talk to Max he had already left the classroom. She quickly gathered up her stuff and ran out the classroom to catch up with him but she was caught in the "high school rush hour". She saw him disappear as he rounded a corner. 


	2. Sweet Love

Michael was in his apartment pacing around with an apprehensive expression. "Something's not right," he said. "No aliens have shown up. It's been to quiet around here for too long. It's been over three months since Max went to the summit and pissed off those alien dudes. I'm telling you something's up but I'll be ready whenever it happens. It's killing me you know. Anticipating when and where they'll be next. I can't stand it."   
  
"Gr...Michael, please. Don't do this to yourself. You're too worked up over n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Now get over here and sit down." Reluctantly he made his way over to Maria and sat down next to her. "Now breathe this," she said as she pulled out a bottle and took a deep breath, "it'll help calm you down." He did as he was told and put on a disgusted look.   
  
"Yuck, it smells like crap," he said as he wrinkled his nose.   
  
"Shut up! That's not true. Aromatherapy has to be taken seriously. Now be serious!" she said as she held the bottle up to him again. He took the bottle, lifted it to his face and squinted his eyes as if examining it. Then he tossed it out the window.   
  
"Hey- that costs money you goon!"   
  
"You know what would really make me happy? You..." he leaned closer to her and they began kissing.   
  
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Liz Parker was making her rounds at the Crashdown, taking orders along with the dirty dishes. It was a quarter to eight. Even though she had started at six it felt like she had been there all night long. She wanted time to stop taking its time and hurry up. She still had to finish packing and do her homework. There was no way Maria would approve of Liz taking homework on the trip. Heck, there was no way Liz would allow herself to do it. Besides there wouldn't be enough time for her to finish it all when she returned.   
  
As she wiped down the booth near the counter she heard the little bell connected to the front door jingle. She looked over her shoulder to see who had walked in and was glowing inside when she saw that it was Max followed by Michael and Isabel. They sat at their usual table in the back corner. Quickly Liz grabbed her order pad and made her way down to their booth. Isabel sat with her back facing Liz with the guys on the other side. "What'll it be tonight guys," she asked as they turned to her.   
  
"The usual," Michael said slightly annoyed.   
  
"Ditto," replied Max. The two quickly returned to their conversation. They seemed to be whispering intently on something. Isabel smiled slightly flustered.   
  
"Can I talk to you for a sec?"   
  
"Um sure."   
  
The two girls walked over to the corner. "Um, have you noticed anything different with Max? I mean for the past couple of days he's been avoiding me and I don't know. I mean it's just not like him."   
  
"Oh, um well I wouldn't know since we haven't talked to each other in a while. We're just sort of starting to talk to one another again. Lately, he hasn't said much to me ...about anything." Liz said looking down at the floor.   
  
Great Job, Isabel! Just be the idiot you are and totally forget about the whole Romeo-Juliet breakup thing. Geez!! Look, it's bad enough you had to be the one to console Max through the whole heart-wrenching ordeal but at least she didn't. She stayed tough and didn't do the whole awkward thing. And what do you do? You gut punch her right in the sore spot. The recipient for the Horrible Friend of the Decade award goes to...Isabel Evans.   
  
"Um...when we were in Bio he was about to ask me something... it seemed important I guess. But then the teacher interrupted him before he could tell me. Then when class ended he rushed out of school before I could ask him about it," Liz replied.   
  
"Oh, right," she replied as she tuned in to reality. "It's just not like him, you know? Anyway I just thought it was worth asking. I don't know...maybe it's just me being the overprotective sister or something." Both girls smiled. "But thanks anyway." Isabel turned and walked out of the Crashdown leaving the two guys behind.   
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"Mom I told you a million times not to wear that shirt. It's not...mom-ish," said Maria as she watched her mom try on a tight black halter-top. She had been watching her try on several of her outfits for the past half hour. She hated the fact that her mom always managed to find and date all these creeps and always had to wear her clothes. Sometimes having a mom and daughter wear the same size is a curse she thought to herself.   
  
"Mom-ish? Maria what are you talking about? I think it looks great on me!" replied her mom, as she looked herself in the mirror.   
  
"I give up! If you don't want my opinion then why am I even here?" she said exasperated. "I mean it's not like you even listen to me. Take the blouse and the skirt but don't touch my perfume!" Maria left the room, flopped down on the couch in the living room and turned the TV on.   
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Ten o'clock- finally! It was closing time and Liz had never been happier! The restaurant was empty and all she had to was clean up. She bent over to pick up some ketchup packets that had fallen on the floor. She heard a knock on the door and glanced over. There was Max in his worn-out leather jacket. She got up and unlocked the door.   
  
"Hi Max. Are you okay?" He looked nervously over his shoulder before entering the café.   
  
"Liz, I wanted to ask you something. I meant to ask earlier but-"   
  
They made their way over to one of the booths. "What is it, Max?"   
  
"Um...have you gotten the feeling lately that someone's watching you? For the past week or so...I've felt that someone or something is. I didn't tell Michael, Isabel or Tess because I didn't want to upset them over something that could just be the created by my overactive imagination. But seriously, I don't know if it's just me or what."   
  
"I knew there was something was bothering you."   
  
"You did?" he asked surprised. Liz nodded her head.   
  
"So did Isabel. I think you should tell her what's been happening. She's really concerned about you. I know that you're one of the most sensible guys that I know and if you think something fishy is going on, then it probably is. I mean after all that we've...well that you guys have been through I wouldn't be surprised. It'd probably be better if you talked to the others about this."   
  
Rubbing his neck, "I will, thanks for listening Liz." The two of them walked towards the door. He turned to leave but hesitated a second. Without warning he bent over and kissed her. Caught off guard, Liz gave an awkward sigh. He wrapped his arms around her holding her as they kissed. At first, she was stunned and didn't know what to do but she let her mind go blank and savored their kiss.   
  
God, it's been so long since I've held you, he thought. He traced the edge of her face with one hand while breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. As they pulled apart, she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. In a low voice she asked, "What was that for?"   
  
"For being you," and with that he turned away and walked off leaving a breathless Liz leaning against the door. 


	3. New Day, Same Rules

Liz glanced over at her clock- 1:11. She had finally finished packing and doing her homework and was ready to go to bed, but she was still felt dreamy while thinking of Max. She could still feel his lips on hers, his strong arms..."Snap out of it Liz," she said to herself. "We've already been over this enough times. Max is a no-no!" She got into bed, turned off her lamp and fell asleep while still thinking of Mr. Alien.   
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She woke up in a start. What was that noise? Calm down Liz! It's just the wind! She tried to believe what she was saying but her heart was still racing. She had heard a thump nearby- loud enough to wake her. Lightning flashed in the sky and she could have sworn she saw someone out on her balcony. Yes, there was definitely someone out there. She was scared stiff. Who would be out there at three in the morning? She heard a low, rumbling thunder. Warily, she turned the lamp on her night table on. She looked out the window again but didn't see anything unusual. "My mind is probably playing tricks on me or something." Carefully she got out of bed and made her way towards the window.   
  
She was standing in front of the window now. Peering out she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She unlocked the window and lifted it. "Hello? Max is that you?" she called out. Nothing. Just then, lightning lit the sky and her eyes filled wide with horror. A man had appeared right outside her window. It was a Skin. She recognized him. He was the same one whom had almost captured her at the Crashdown.   
  
"Morning sweetheart did I wake you?" he asked grinning maliciously. Before she could utter a sound he shot his hand out and gripped her neck lifting her off the ground. Liz tried screamed but couldn't. She tried to escape his grip but he was too powerful. Struggling for air, she grabbed the window and began slamming it down on his arm. Finally he let go and cursed in pain. She dropped to the ground on her knees and gasped for air. Liz got up, turned and ran for the door ignoring the rubbery feeling in her legs. She heard the window shatter behind her and felt him grab the back of her top. He pulled her towards him and held her firmly, one hand across her front holding both arms and one on her neck. "Where is the Royal Four?" he asked angrily.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," she responded.   
  
"Liar!" he stood up dragging her up with him. "I don't have time to play games!" He threw her against the wall and she yelled in surprise. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Now answer the question- where are they?" She stared him straight in the eye not saying a word. He shook his head, "Fine, your choice."   
  
He grabbed her hair and slammed her to the ground, laughing. He kicked her in the ribs ignoring her groans. "We're just getting started." He picked her up slamming her against the wall- pain shot through her back as she fell to the floor. Determined not to give up without a fight, she desperately looked for anything to use to defend herself with. She grabbed the baseball bat she always kept under her bed and turned to find him staring down at her.   
  
"Get the hell out of here!" she banged the bat across his knees. He shrieked and fell to the floor clutching his knees. She got up and hit him across the back. He cried out. "What are you doing back here? Why can't you just leave us alone?" she exclaimed as she continued to hit him with the bat. All of a sudden, he grabbed her ankles and pulled them, causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor hard. She lost the grip on the bat. He stood up panting. Terror filled Liz's heart as he forcefully turned her around and banged her face against the floor. She tasted blood.   
  
Liz began sobbing knowing he was too strong to fight off. He picked her up and flung her with ease. She landed on her hip and cried out. Her head throbbed and pain shot up through both legs. He stood there watching from the other side of the room. She winced as she lifted herself up. She wiped blood off her face as she continued to stare at the Skin. "They aren't here. They've left town and aren't coming back," she said.   
  
"Liar." was all he said. He held out his hand and used his power to pull her towards him. She resisted but his power continued to drag her. He laughed as he watched her struggle to get out of the supernatural pull. She grabbed her lamp off the night table and with all the energy that she could muster she brought it down upon his head. He collapsed to the ground and all was silent. With renewed strength she began walking, half limping towards the door when she heard a low moan. The skin picked up the bat Liz had dropped and struck it across her legs. She cried out in sheer pain as she fell to the floor.   
  
The skin stood over her, turned her, and saw that Liz was already unconscious- her eyes were closed. He knelt beside her still body and gagged as Liz opened her eyes and punched him squarely in the throat. Liz climbed on top of him and began punching his face continuously as she cried. She ignored the pain that electrified her body. She was overwhelmed with the urge to beat the alien senseless for everything the Skins had done to her and her friends. The Skin shook its head and grabbed her neck and punched her. She slumped to the ground and felt blood gushing out of her nose. In a daze, Liz tried getting up but the skin had her pinned to the floor. With the last of her energy she asked "Why- why are you doing this?"   
  
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked enjoying every moment. "You have the strongest connection to the Royal Four. Since you won't reveal where they are then I'll have to use you as bait. When they find out that you've been attacked, they'll come running to your rescue and I'll pounce on them faster than you can say 'gotcha'. Since Nicholas has obviously decided to forget about you all, I've decided to take action and do away with the four of them- it's only fair. After all, they did are responsible for destroying the husks and the eventual death of our people."   
  
"But...but what do you want with them?" she asked.   
  
"Well I've decided that it would be a waste of my powers to kill them so I've decided to make their lives a living hell. Of course I can only guarantee that three will be alive to live through it."   
  
She felt sick. Only three? She felt her energy draining away, but she desperately tried to remain conscious. "I don't understand."   
  
"Well then let me enlighten you. I'm going to fill you up with enough power to blast your boyfriend. Enough so that he'll be rendered unconscious and be totally defenseless. Then if I decide to be charitable I'll let him live but if he ticks me off like you have...then I guess your sole mate is going to be dead. After I've finished having my fun with him I'm going to take him back so that they can finish what they started...Oh by the way, not a word of this to anyone. If you even give a hint about what I've just told you, I'll annihilate you, your family and your friends."   
  
Before Liz could say another word, she saw the Skin's fist coming straight at her. The impact was brutal. Blackness seeped into her eyes and then there was nothing.   
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"Psst Liz c'mon let's get going." Maria climbed up the ladder onto Liz's balcony. As she made it to the top of the ladder, she looked towards the room but all the lights were turned off. Seeing that the window was open she continued talking. "I tried going in through the front but it was already locked up. Do you know how hard it is to climb a ladder with heels on? Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she saw that the window wasn't open- it was broken! She ran to the to the window and peered in. As the moonlight filtered into the room, she saw that glass shards lay scattered all over the floor. Liz was nowhere in sight. Desperately trying to clear her mind of negative thoughts she carefully knocked out the glass still left on the windowpane. In a voice barely audible and full of trepidation she called out for her friend but got no response. "Liz? Liz where are you?"   
  
She climbed through the window and adjusted her eyes to the brightness when she gasped. On the other side of the bed she saw a foot sticking out. She ran over and turned the light on. There she laid, crumpled on the floor- unconscious. She lay on her side...blood everywhere.   
  
"No," was all Maria could say as she kneeled and tilted Liz's head so she could she her face. There was dry blood on her face and it was swollen. Her body was cut and bruised, and there was a deep reddish, purple tone on her legs. "Who did this to you?" she asked as she held back her tears and cradled her friend's limp body. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Hello? This is Maria," she said in a shaky voice.   
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"Max, Max wake up!" Isabel said as she burst into his bedroom. She shook her brother out of a deep sleep.   
  
"Go away. Leave me alone!" he said half awake.   
  
Isabel yanked the covers off him and said angrily "Max get up! Something's happened to Liz." 


	4. A Truth Revealed

"What happened?" demanded Alex as he jumped through the window and knelt by Liz and Maria.   
  
"I don't know- when I got here she was-" she stopped as she saw Max race into the room with Isabel close behind. Alex moved out of the way as Max moved in and held Liz tenderly in his arms- a million thoughts racing through his mind. "She keeps going in and out of consciousness. She um...she keeps mumbling, but I can't make it out." Maria said as Alex supported her. Isabel was holding Liz's hand.   
  
Liz opened her eyes and tried to stop her head from spinning. Why did her head hurt so much? It felt like it was going to explode. She was wheezing, desperately trying to breathe, and lights were flashing everywhere. Her head pounded with pain, her body felt so weak, she felt like she was going a million miles an hour. She kept shaking her head trying to wake up from this nightmare and she gasped!   
  
Breathing harshly, she tried to sit upright but couldn't. Something was holding her down. She struggled to get up and opened up her eyes. Where was she? She tried focusing her eyes to the harsh light and slowly the gray shadows took form and she saw the faces of Max, Isabel, Maria and Alex. She tried speaking but nothing came out.   
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"Look- she's coming to!" said Alex with relief. Maria joyfully smiled. She thought she had lost her best friend for a moment and the thought was unbearable. Max held Liz even more tightly. Ordinarily she would have hugged him back but she recoiled from his touch. If he noticed he didn't say anything. She leaned to her side and began spitting up blood. Max rubbed her back as she coughed up dried blood. When she finished Isabel offered her a glass of water.   
  
  
It felt so good. The water felt so refreshing and cold compared to her dry, itchy throat. "Liz, what happened? Who did this too you?" asked Alex edgily. He had had a chance to look around the house and saw that only her room was in shambles. Whoever had done this to his friend had come here looking for something in her room. All her drawers were pulled open. Her clothes, books and everything else was scattered all over the floor. Her lamp was lying on the floor shattered. He didn't like this one bit.   
  
Liz felt darkness creeping back into her body again. "No! Liz stay with us. You have to stay awake. C'mon!" pleaded Max as he cupped her face in his hands. He felt so warm and good. She felt safe and secure in his arms. Then apprehension filled her body. She tensed up as she remembered what had happened to her. The Skin.   
  
Fearfully and fully awake now, she tried to form words but her mind was still a blank. She let her eyes gaze across the room and remembered the horrible feeling of terror that had pierced her heart. He was still here. She could tell he was within hearing distance prepared to kill everyone she loved in this room and beyond.   
  
"The Sk-" she stopped herself. She couldn't tell them what had happened. She needed them to leave now. "You guys have to get out right now," she said frantically looking Max in the eye. "We're all in serious danger. It's not safe. We have to leave now," she kept saying not caring if she sounded like an idiot. She couldn't even give her friends a clue as to who had done this. She wasn't going to risk their lives anymore than she had to just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.   
  
"Tell us Liz? Who was it? Who did this to you," Max asked ignoring her pleas. She must still be in shock from the attack he thought. She's rambling on and avoiding the subject. She looked so helpless and yet acted so brave.   
  
Maria was wiping the dry blood on Liz's face away with a washcloth. Maria couldn't understand why anyone would assault her best friend. She of all people didn't deserve this. Her face had tearstains everywhere and Maria knew she was suffering a lot, but wouldn't show it. She couldn't imagine what the attacker had done to Liz. When she first saw her, she could have sworn she was nearly dead. It had taken her several minutes to get any response from Liz and when she had begun to spit up blood, she nearly lost it. Even a gallon of her cedar oil wasn't going to calm her down now. Where were Michael and Tess? It seemed like she had called them hours ago even though it had been almost the same time she had called Alex and Isabel.   
  
She pushed him and Maria away and managed to sit up right ignoring the severe pains that shot up through her shoulders. She wasn't going to get through to her friends if she lied there like a hurt deer or something. She was going to have to be as tough and direct as she could be. "Get out now. I'll be fine. Just leave me alone," she said sternly but her face said otherwise.   
  
"Liz, what are you talking about? You can barely sit up as it is and yet you expect us to just leave and act as if nothing happened. Liz someone nearly killed you tonight," cried Maria as she allowed tears to roll freely down her face.   
  
Alex got up and glanced around the room. He walked to Max and whispered, "You know, this wasn't just a random act. She knows it and she's not saying a word about it."   
  
Max nodded in agreement and silently promised himself he was going to kill whoever had done this to Liz- his Liz. He studied her face- it was bruised and swollen. Her eyes were red and puffy, and had a glazy look. She was trying desperately trying to hold back tears. Blood had stained her top and she was cut and scraped all over. He resisted the urge to run over to her and cradle her like he so desperately wanted to. But he knew that was exactly the treatment she didn't want. She was strong and wasn't about to be treated like a baby.   
  
Isabel nudged Max and motioned toward Liz's leg. "Max, I think it's broken. She might not realize it, which is why I don't think the pain hasn't registered yet. God she looks awful," whispered Isabel. He could tell she was trying not to break like Maria, but it wasn't working. He tried to contain his emotions. He was the last person who needed to crack right now. He had to be strong for himself and for Liz.   
  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken up. Please do me this one favor and leave me alone. I can manage," Liz said with a faint smile ignoring Alex.   
  
Alex was becoming frustrated that Liz wouldn't answer his questions. Is she protecting whoever did this to her? No, she wouldn't. C'mon Alex, this is your friend. She's probably traumatized about the whole ordeal.   
  
"Someone came into your room tonight, beat the crap out of you, and then just left. He didn't even take anything. Why'd he come here looking? Can't you even answer that simple question? Better yet why won't you tell us who did it! I know this wasn't some stunt pulled off by a burglar. Was it someone connected to those pod people? An alien? A government agent? You can't pretend this never happened. Look at yourself- he left you alive for a reason didn't he? For what? Is this a message to watch out or something? Why you? Damn it! Why won't you speak up?" he demanded as he punched the wall. He felt so helpless and she wasn't saying jack about the incident. It made him so mad he felt he would explode. Isabel wrapped her arm around him in an effort to try and calm him down.   
  
Liz burst into tears. In between sobs she said "Don't you think I know that I could have been killed? I was there- I lived through it. You're right! It wasn't a burglar. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't. He assured me that if I did..." she looked away and held her head with her hands, "...if I did, then you would all be dead. He's a monster and he's out to destroy you. Why can't you understand what I'm trying to tell you? If you love me then you'll all get as far away from here as possible." She broke down and Maria held her in her arms. Liz was sobbing uncontrollably and Alex walked away to the other side of the room.   
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"Thanks again for picking me up, Michael. With the Valenti's camping out, it would have taken me forever to get here by foot," Tess said. Right after Maria had called Michael drove over and offered her a lift. She lived a good fifteen minutes away from the Liz's house.   
  
"No problem, I know all too well what it feels like to be without wheels. I've done my good deed for the week," he said as he pulled up behind the café. "Did Maria tell you what was going on?"   
  
"No, only that I had to get here pronto."   
  
"Same here. She seemed pretty shaken up about it. Hope it's nothing serious though."   
  
The two didn't bother going up through the front. They made their way to the ladder that led up to her balcony. They heard muffled yelling, looked at each other and ran to the ladder.   
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Max went over to Liz, placed his hands over her and concentrated on creating a connection so that he could heal her. Liz looked frantically at Max and broke out into a cold sweat. "No, Max! You can't! Please don't do it!" she pleaded frantically.   
  
"Liz, he's just going to heal you," said Maria.   
  
"You don't understand! Max don't connect please!" she said hysterically.   
  
"What's the matter Liz? Don't freak!" said Alex puzzled.   
  
Crying, "You'll be killed! Max I forbid you!" said Liz desperately trying to take control of the situation.   
  
Max ignored her. She was hurt and he was going to heal her- end of story. He cleared his mind and centered his thoughts on her as he kept his grip on firm on her. He was almost there- the connection was almost complete.   
  
"No Max! NO!" she screamed out.   
  
"Liz please!" said a shaky Maria she put her hand over Liz's mouth muffling her cries. Why is she doing this?   
  
Flustered, Isabel said, "Max maybe you shouldn't-" There I'm in! Now to work the magic! Max said silently to himself. He began to heal her.   
  
"No!" Liz tried screaming. "Please God don't let this happen!" she begged. But it was to late.   
  
Maria looked at Liz and saw her eyes roll back into her head. She looked up at Alex and Isabel in fright. Liz's body trembled, her muscles tightened and she yelled as this excruciating pain formed and made its way down her body.   
  
Maria, Isabel and Alex yelled in surprise as Liz's body convulsed and shook violently. They saw the whites of her eyes and her knuckles turn pale as she kept them in fist form. Then a tremendous white light came over her body and made its way toward Max. He yelled out in pain and shock. He was engulfed by it, electricity rippled through his body. It felt like it was tearing him apart. What was this? He fell to his knees and gritted his teeth as he tried to endure the piercing pain. He looked up at Isabel. She was saying something but he couldn't hear a word. He collapsed and fell to the floor with a heavy thud.   
  
"Ma- Max!" cried Isabel as she ran to her brother's side. She pushed him but he lay there motionless. "Oh my god!" Isabel cried out. Alex ran over to her.   
  
"She was trying to save him- to stop him," Maria said in a faraway voice. They looked at Liz and saw that she too was laid there seemingly lifeless. "Are they...are they dead?" Isabel asked fearfully as she held onto her brother's body.   
  
"No, but they may not be alive for long." said the Skin as it appeared out of the shadows. Immediately everyone looked at him. 


	5. White Room Nightmare

Michael helped Tess up onto the balcony. They could hear someone crying from inside the room. They both ran toward the window but Michael held Tess back before she could climb through. Bewildered, she looked to where he was pointing and saw a Skin in there next to Max who was lying motionless on the floor. He pulled her away from the window and into the shadows so that they would be undetected.   
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"You did this! Why?" Alex demanded.   
  
"Why are you doing this? What did you do to Liz and Max? " Isabel asked.   
  
"I did it for revenge...to settle the score more or less. I'm taking him back so that they can finish what they started..."   
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Maria.   
  
"I don't think you or your friends are in any position to question me." The Skin remained silent and grinned as if daring one of them to make a move. It didn't have to wait long. In a rage of fury Isabel ran over attacking it. Alex tried to grab her but he was to late. The Skin knocked her to the floor with a burst of energy. She quickly got up and looked him dead in the eye. "You're feisty huh? That won't help you though when you find yourself locked away," he said.   
  
"Is Nicholas behind this? You'll never get away with this-" yelled Maria.   
  
"Quit babbling. It makes me sick. You humans are always so emotional and where does it get you? Now I have the royal king himself and I can finish what I set out to do." With a wave of its hand, the Skin delivered a powerful blow to each of the teens knocking them out cold.   
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"What happened?" asked Michael. He was laying face first on the cold, hard floor. He slowly sat up and studied at his surroundings. He saw Tess lying next to him on the ground. He sat up and gently shook her to wake her.   
  
"Hmm?" she asked as she stirred.   
  
"They're gone. No one's here." He got up and made his way to the window. The room was deserted. Max, Isabel, Maria, Alex and Liz were nowhere to be found. Tess joined him, her face full of fright. What had happened to them? Did the Skin kill them? Her heart felt so heavy and her stomach twisted into knots. Where they even still alive? These same thoughts raced through Michael's head too but he knew deep inside his friends were alive...but he didn't know for how long. He didn't know how he knew, he just did- it was an alien thin he guessed. He searched the room for clues. Then it hit him! The words of the Skin came flooding back to him. "I'm going to take him back so that they can finish what they started..."   
  
"The white room" he said.   
  
"White room? What are you talking about Michael?"   
  
"It's where the FBI took Max last year. It's where they-"   
  
She looked down at they ground fighting back tears. "It's where they tortured him."   
  
********************************************************   
She woke up in a bare white room. She was alone. She frantically got up and ran towards the door and banged it. "Open this door!" she yelled. Where was everyone else? This place looked too familiar too her. It looked exactly like the place where Max-   
  
A heavy-set guard with heavy boots and a shotgun angrily ran towards Liz's door and aimed the gun directly at her head. Liz was paralyzed. "I don't want to hear another sound coming from this cell. If I do I'll make sure it'll be your last. Got it?" he demanded. Whimpering, she asked where everyone else was.   
  
"Oh, you're referring to your friends I assume," he said leisurely, "Well, let's see hmm...well the humans were dead the last time I checked. They got in the way- made too much noise. What a pity. The others I'm not sure about. I know that the one boy... well wasn't really useful to any of us...you know what I mean? The girl still hasn't outgrown her usefulness though. Maybe we'll reunite you two before she goes away to a better place."   
  
Her legs felt weak. The color drained from her face and she fell back against the wall as his words sunk in. She couldn't hold herself up any longer. He was obviously enjoying tormenting her like this.   
  
"What was her name- Maria? Strong girl really but no match for old Mick here," he said as he motioned to his gun. "But don't worry. We made sure we had fun with her before we put her out of her misery. To bad the boy didn't live long enough to enjoy it!"   
  
"You bastard!" Liz shrieked as she ran to him blinded by her fury. But it was too late. He had already slammed the door and he was walking down the hall laughing. She didn't care. She kept pounding on the door as she cried out in agony. Giving up she broke down and huddled up against the wall as tears streamed down her face. They had killed her friends and it was all her fault. "Oh god" she sobbed as her head leaned back against the wall. She was devastated.   
********************************************************  
  
He was restless, he didn't know how long he had been here but it had been long enough for the nightmares to return to him. He was back in the facility- the one where he had nearly been killed in. His eyes darted around his cell. His room was small with dim lights. A window ran the length of one of the walls- exactly as he had remembered it...exactly. He was in the "holding" room; that's where he would remain until they were ready for him. The last thing he remembered was healing Liz...and then that light. That brilliant electric light was everywhere and it had entered him. He remembered seeing the Skin. He remembered lying on the floor barely able to keep his eyes open, but he knew he saw it. Did it bring him here? Did it bring his friends here? It must have... The next thing he knew was that he was lying here sore but alive.   
  
Liz had tried to stop him. She pleaded him to go away but he ignored her and probably put her and the others in even more danger. God, how could he have been so stupid? Now that he thought about it, he realized she had been trying to tell him what was happening even though she didn't technically tell him.   
  
Where were the others? He couldn't imagine what had happened to them. He had to find someway to get in touch- especially with Isabel. If she was in here, then she was in major danger. Max would never let anyone hurt her or anyone else like they had to him- he would make sure of that. He had to think fast. He had to get out of here. How could he get in touch with Michael and Tess? They were the only ones who weren't in the room. He had already tried several times to connect with them telepathically but failed. He even tried with Isabel but failed miserably.   
  
He turned his head to the window. He saw a guard walking down the corridor towards him. "Hey Paul, what're you up too?" asked a man who Max couldn't see. He must have been along the side of one of the other walls.   
  
"Hah, just having fun with one of those teens. The one with the brown hair- cute one she is." He said laughing. "Bawling her little eyes out because she thinks her little friends are dead."   
  
"Thinks? The last I saw they were breathing," asked the other guard questioningly.   
  
"Well I might have given her reason to think that," he said grinning, "I just love to mess with their heads you know? Gives me a rush- I don't think she'll put up much of fight now..."   
  
"You have one sick sense of humor, but hey whatever right?"   
  
Max's blood curled. "You sick-" His head filled with a thousand words. They were talking about Liz- his Liz. She was here and so were the others. He was supposed to protect her and here he was. He had to find her and tell her that they were still alive. Who knew what state of mind she was in now that she thought everyone was dead. He punched the wall in anger. He wanted to kill that guard. He stopped- did he just hear something? He listened for a sec and placed his head against the wall straining to listen. He was right! It sounded like... like someone was crying. It was clearer now. It was Liz- he could just feel it. Max's heart responded with a sharp pang.   
  
"No Liz, listen to me it's not true! They're alive!" he yelled hoping she could here him. He pounded on the wall trying to get her to listen. 


	6. Turmoil in Darkness

Isabel was trapped in this small room with barely any light- the light bulb had flickered on and off for a while before finally giving up. The remaining light filtered in through her window from the hallway. The light didn't do much though- it was just as weak as the other one was. She felt sick- she didn't know where she was, but she knew it was bad. She wasn't alone though because she had seen Alex in the cell across from her while there was some decent light left. She felt good to know that she wasn't by herself. This place fit perfectly with the nightmares she had after she watching the Alien Autopsy documentary. She shivered from the thought. She figured that Max, Maria and Liz must be nearby too. At least Alex wasn't hurt- that was a good sign wasn't it? The truth was that she was terrified- she just wasn't prepared to let anyone see it... at least not now.   
  
Deep inside she kept thinking if Max was alive. We're they hurting him? Were they experimenting him? Were they cutting him up? The thought was agonizing. She had failed her brother by letting him be captured once and here she was failing him again...the person she cared most about in the world.   
********************************************************  
  
"What am I doing here? What do you want with me? I'm useless! Don't you understand? Why don't you just let me go home and... and I promise not to uh tell anyone about this place huh? It'll just be our little secret," said Maria out loud even though she doubted anyone was actually listening to her. Who was she kidding? She wasn't going to get out of here that easily. They had already killed Liz and Max. What was stopping them from killing Alex, Isabel and her? She sat on the floor dejectedly. She felt more hot tears roll down her face. Why couldn't she have seen this coming? Why didn't she save them?   
********************************************************   
  
Liz hit the floor with her fist. "How could this have happened? How could I have let this happen?" hot tears stung her face. Max had managed to heal most of her before she- "before I killed him!" she yelled. This was too much. She had to get out of here. Maria and Alex couldn't be dead...could they? No, of course not! He was just lying to you. They weren't dead. They couldn't be...   
  
She couldn't think about this. It was killing her inside. Her best friends...there was hope wasn't there? But hope doesn't last too long when you know you're responsible for what's going on.   
  
She heard a slight thud coming from the back of her cell. She made her way to it- she wasn't imagining. Someone was pounding the wall. She wiped her face and began hitting the wall back trying to communicate with whomever was on the other side. After two minutes or so she knew that the person on the other side had heard her. She was glad- her knuckles were scratched, but she didn't care. She was going to find Isabel, Alex, Maria and even...Max alive.   
********************************************************   
  
Alex was sprawled on the floor counting the cracks on the floor. "Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight" he sat up in frustration, "Grr, this is impossible!" He glanced over to Isabel's cell but it was still too dark to see her. At least he knew she was okay for the time being. He knew he should be scared to death but how could he when he had been here for over thee hours without any sign of life in this dump except for him and Isabel. He was so frustrated. At least when the light bulb was working he was communicating with her but now he was stuck here all along. And the problem was that being here all alone caused his mind to wander back to Liz and Max. He couldn't do that- it was pure torture. "Maybe this is what they do to all the people- alien and human. They lock them up for a day or two so that they go a little insane from the seclusion and then they're more than eager to go with they enemy. Note to self- when I get back, start writing a list for the Top Ten Ways to Drive a Teen Boy Locked up in a Cell Mad!"   
  
"This is it! We're here," whispered Michael as he helped Tess out of the Jeep. She wasn't chickening out yet- at least not in front of Michael. He was scared enough.   
He recognized the place- knew exactly where it was. How could they have been so stupid as to bring them back here? It just didn't make sense. If they were smart why didn't they just take them to another facility? When he and Tess had driven up here, both knew instantly that Max and Isabel were nearby- the alien thing again.   
  
They made their way over to the hill that overlooked the facility. Daylight had already spread throughout the desert so the two had to be extremely careful not to be seen or caught. The place looked deserted- not a person in sight. There was a fence about 12 feet high that ran the course of the facility- "Good thing I wore sneakers" mouthed Tess. There was a power generator near an entrance to the facility. She could count two security cameras and pointed them out to Michael. He nodded and blew them up with his powers. It made a little popping sound. Where were the guards? After double-checking that no one was outside they made their way to the facility. Hastily they climbed the fence and were inside the perimeter.   
********************************************************  
  
Max had just finished creating a small hole between his cell and that of Liz's. These walls were made up of very strong material and it had taken several minutes for him to open them up. He had to do it at the bottom of the wall so that if a guard walked by, he wouldn't be able the hole. He would just see Max or Liz lying on the floor as if they were asleep. Through the hole, they were able to talk to each other.   
  
"I was so scared. I thought I had killed you."   
  
"Don't think like that. I'm fine and I'm going to figure out a way to get us out of here, I promise."   
  
"God, this is all my fault. I feel horrible. I delivered all of you here. I should have been able to prevent this...all of this. It's just that he made me so scared. He was going to kill everyone even my family if I said a word. I couldn't let that happen! I was so scared! I brought this upon all of you. I'm so sorry!"   
  
"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself, please! I need you to be strong."   
********************************************************  
  
"Get up." ordered a guard as he woke Isabel up. Slowly she got up and followed him outside the room. Through the window, Alex saw the guard bring her outside the cell and saw another guard walking towards them with a gurney. He got up hoping that what he thought was going to happen wouldn't be true.   
  
"What's this for?" asked Isabel nervously.   
  
"Shut up and get on," the guard said.   
  
"No! Are you crazy? I demand that you let me and my friends go!" she exclaimed trying to regain her composure.   
  
"Aw for crying out loud! I don't have time for this!" The guard grabbed her and threw her onto the gurney. The other one strapped her arms and legs down. They gagged her ignoring her shouts.   
  
"Isabel!!!" yelled Alex as she watched her disappear down two metal doors, "No!!"   
********************************************************   
  
"What do they want with us? Why would the Skin deliver all of us back here?" asked Liz.   
  
"I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. And the fact that he seems to be acting alone makes it all the more confusing.   
  
She began crying, "Max, there's something I need to tell you."   
  
Knowing what she was about to tell him, "Listen to me Liz! Don't believe it! Everything that guard said was a-" Just then, Max felt someone grab hold of his shirt and pull him up, "What the?"   
  
"Max!" yelled Liz as she saw two guards grab hold of Max and pin him to the wall. He fought back trying to throw them off. One reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cloth. He held it over Max's face. Within seconds Max had stopped struggling. The guards dragged him out of the room, placed him on a gurney and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.   
  
"Max!!!!!"   
********************************************************   
  
"Stand behind those crates," Michael said as he took his position near the generator. He took a deep breath and concentrated all his energy on it. By blowing it up, power all over the compound would be out. Since there were no windows in the compound and electricity provided the only source of light inside, the two would have a better chance of not getting spotted. Since aliens naturally see better in darkness, he and Tess could make their way through the compound with less difficulty and find the others quickly. Within seconds, he heard the dying motor of the generator sputter and give up. The whir of electricity came to a halt. He looked over at Tess and they ran over to the big, metal door. She pressed her palms against it and unlocked it. She opened the door and the two of them made their way down the corridor.   
********************************************************  
  
"Aah!" exclaimed Maria in surprise as the lights one by one turned off. "Oh, this is getting better by the minute! Now I have to be stuck here in the dark!" she muttered. A guard down the hall was yelling into his radio. "Who turned the lights off?" he asked angrily. Cursing, she heard his footsteps disappear down the corridor. "Whatever," Maria said as she sat back in the darkness.   
  
"Maria? Hey is that you?" asked a voice Maria knew all to well.   
  
In a hushed voice she answered back. "Michael? I'm over here- hurry!" she had never been so happy to hear his voice before. It was pitch dark but she could sense him nearby. She tapped the window to let him know where she was.   
  
"Maria?" asked Tess.   
  
"Tess? You're here too? Thank God! Where are you?"   
  
"Doesn't matter, you wouldn't be able to see her anyway."   
  
"Just get me out of here, Michael!" She heard her door unlock and open.   
  
Michael turned on a flashlight and handed it to her. "I'm so glad to see you!" she whispered as she hugged him in relief.   
  
"Same here," he said.   
  
"Okay, you two- we still have four other people still stuck in here that we need to rescue before we can get all lovey-dovey and stuff," Tess reminded them.   
  
Maria looked down at the floor. "Max and Liz," she forced herself to look them in the eyes, " they're dead." No one said a word. 


	7. Revelations

Isabel scanned darkness around her. All was silent- all the guards had disappeared the moment the lights went out. They had taken her to some big room with several 'mini rooms,' which she was, currently in. she was still strapped down and couldn't use her powers to free herself. The lights had turned off just in time. They had already brought out all the vile medical tools so that they could begin their torture procedure. She was terrified. She couldn't ever feeling as scared as she was now. Her brave, independent façade had disappeared the moment she was strapped down and saw her last glimpse of Alex.   
********************************************************  
  
Alex had all ready tried every trick in the book and none seemed to help when it came to getting out of this damn room! It was definitely Alex-proof. He felt totally alone and being in the dark definitely didn't help. This place was so ancient it didn't even have a backup generator. He heard heavy footsteps approaching. He strained to see where it came from but didn't see a thing. Afterwards he saw the beam from several flashlights light the hallway. He looked out the window wondering what they were up to.   
  
One guard stopped in front of his cell while the others continued down the corridor. He opened the door to his cell.   
  
"I don't want to hear a peep out of you. Just do as I say and you won't get hurt." The guard said gruffly. The guard tried to hide his fear by sounding intimidating but Alex could see right through him. He had to admit though- having a gun aimed at you did help slightly with the intimidation factor. Alex studied the guard a minute before moving. He looked to be in his early 20's, his uniform was muddy and he was out of breath- like he had just finished running a marathon or something. He also noticed one major thing causing Alex to cock his head in surprise. The guard still had his safety on- the sucker was basically aiming a toy gun at him. This is too good to be through.   
  
Alex raised his hands above his head to show the guard he was listening and that he wasn't going to try any stunts. The guard motioned for him to get up, which Alex did obediently. "Now slowly move outside- no funny stuff I'm warning you."   
  
The guard nervously glanced around and turned to Alex. "How many of your friends are out there?"   
  
Confused, Alex stared at him uncertain, "What do you mean?"   
  
The guard shifted his weight slightly, "You know what I'm talking about. Aliens."   
  
Just then the walkie-talkie on his belt came alive. At first static was all you could make out but then the distinct sound of someone's voice became clear.   
  
"{Crackle, crackle} anyone listening? Something has breeched security, I repeat {crackle} security...invisible attacker. It's taken out...men... explosions {sputter} screams {hiss} lockdown underway...get to safety...bring prisoners...it's...{Static} " The voice stopped and all that filled the air was the sound of static. The guard stared at Alex bewildered before pushing Alex to the side and running off.   
  
"Hey at least leave me the flashlight!" yelled Alex to the fleeing guard. To his surprise the guard tossed it behind his back and continued running. Wonder was that was all about? Well at least he was free and armed with a flashlight.   
********************************************************   
Max open his eyes and saw that he was in another room. He struggled to sit up but found himself held down. Where am I? He glanced around the room and right away felt nauseous. He was in a lab room. He was strapped down to a medical bed and there were a whole lot of instruments laying way too close to him. He was hooked up to a heart monitor and another machine, which he guessed was used for measuring brain waves. Luckily for him, he had woken up just in the nick of time for them to begin he thought grimly.   
  
There was no one around though- where were they? What was going on? Nonetheless, he wasn't complaining. Two straps on his arms stilled restrain him to the bed. He mustered up all his strength and tugged at it- yearning to be free. The straps fell free from his arms and he grinned thankfully. He unhooked himself from the machines and sat up. Big mistake, it seemed as if the world was spinning at a 100,000 miles per hour and his stomach felt queasy. He lied back quickly and the spinning stopped. "What the heck?" He looked at himself again and found the culprit- he was hooked up to an IV, which most likely had that "sleepy" medicine doctors used on patients before they operated. Comforting thought. He shuddered at the word operate. He took two deep breaths and slowly got up. The spinning stopped quickly. He unfastened the straps holding down his legs. He jumped off the table and grabbed a nearby desk in time to break his fall. "This is going to be a bit more difficult than I thought," he admitted as he slowly walked toward the double doors. This better wear off soon.   
********************************************************  
  
Tess and Michael heard voices close by and prepared to do another round of scares. As they drew nearer, they saw Alex pass by them walking the opposite way. Relief washed over their faces.   
  
"Wrong way compadre!" said Michael. Alex shined the flashlight at them revealing their hiding spots.   
  
"Hey, watch where you aim," said Tess as she blocked her eyes.   
  
Alex immediately lowered the light. "Man am I ever glad to see you two!" he said as he ran towards them and hugged them both. He grinned, "Are you two responsible for the: {Crackle} invisible attacker...taken out...men... explosions {sputter} escape if you can..." he asked as he made a perfect imitation of the radio call.   
  
Tess laughed while Michael chuckled. "I didn't think they'd last long enough to send that message. We had to think of some way to clear out of the facility so we could get in and be able to look around freely..."   
  
"...So we used our alien advantage and played ghost for a little while. A few sparks here, a few ghoulish howls there, and a little alien power too!" finished Michael. The three laughed and began to search for the others who were still somewhere in the compound.   
********************************************************  
  
Liz lay half asleep on the cold, cement floor. She had cried herself to sleep and had woken up to darkness. Being all by herself was killing her. Her mind kept going back to what the guard had told her. Alex and Maria were maybe dead- Max was gone. She didn't know where Isabel was. She couldn't stop thinking about it-it was eating her alive. She was never going to get out of here. She didn't deserve to, she thought to herself. Tears began to form again and she let them slide down her cheek. She didn't care anymore. The most important people in her life were gone now. She had seen the guards go into Max's cell. Two minutes later they dragged him out. The image had haunted Liz ever since. They were probably killing him wit their experiments at this very moment. Now nothing mattered to her. The thought of Maria and Alex- it was too much. And what had become of Isabel? She broke down and sobbed uncontrollably as she hugged herself into a ball.   
********************************************************   
  
C'mon Max, concentrate! The medicine had long since worn off but he still felt a little uneasy. Uneasy because no one was around, uneasy because he didn't know where his friends were and uneasy because he was still alive at this point. If the FBI had its way then he would be dead right now or at least be locked up...yet here he was. Walking around with no one following him and free to do whatever.   
  
Max had been pulling the curtains away from each mini lab room hoping that he didn't find anyone inside, so far so good. He heard a low whimpering coming from nearby. He walked in the direction of the sound, which led him to yet another curtain. His heart pounded in his chest heavily. He was afraid of what was behind the curtain. With all his courage, he yanked the curtain away and saw Isabel lying there held down to the bed.   
  
"Izzy!" he yelled as he ran to her side. She struggled to say something to him, but the gag muffled any sound. He quickly took it off. And hugged her. "Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?" he asked as he quickly undid her straps.   
  
"No, no I'm okay. What about you, Max?" she asked as she jumped off the bed and threw her arms around him.   
  
"I'm fine. Looks like you and I were both going to go under the knife though!" She punched his arm. "Ow," he said. She grabbed his arm and saw the mark where the IV had been. "Looks like you were going to be first," she replied.   
  
"We have to find Liz, Alex and Maria."   
  
"Alex was right across the hall from me."   
  
"I know where Liz is."   
  
"Is she okay? When you were knocked out, she was-"   
  
"Don't worry about it. We're all going to be fine."   
  
The two walked through thick, metal doors. The lights were all off in here to, but he and Isabel realized that they were in the area where he had been locked up earlier. Tiny rooms lined the walls. There must have been hundreds. It was going to take them hours to search each one and Max wasn't even sure if his friends were still here.   
********************************************************   
  
Michael, Tess and Alex had found Maria bound and gagged in another cell, which was near the medical labs. After freeing her, they explored the labs, which looked and smelled like one of those hospitals you'd find in those old shows like M*A*S*H. There where lots of dividers on the sides of the walls and in the center were several computers with Government issued stickers. There were also several long and wide cabinets that contained all sorts of medical supplies. They split up and began exploring the area. It had been eerily quiet and to make matters worse the place smelled clinical- just like a hospital or the dentist's. Yuck. Maria was pulling curtains away and kept finding empty med beds, which is precisely what she wanted. If these monsters brought Isabel, Max or Liz here and did those awful things to them...no! I'm not going to start thinking like that. It's your job to find them and you will! She heard Tess cry out and saw the look of horror on her face. "No!" said Maria as she ran to her.   
  
  
Maria picked up Max's leather jacket and shirt and turned to Michael unable to say a word. He took her into his arms and tried calming her down. "You don't think that..." Alex said.   
  
Tess looked at the bed and noticed the heart monitor still spewing out information. She picked it up and showed it to Alex. "Max is okay. Look at these readings. Here at the beginning he has a strong heartbeat, and then look here where it lowers slightly. That's when he must have dozed off," she explained as she pointed to the oxygen mask lying on the floor, "then here it peaks up- that's when he must have woken up. He disconnected himself and went off in search of us. He didn't leave too long ago according to this though."   
  
Michael nodded, "So then we should get to him pretty soon huh?"   
*************************************************************   
  
Liz opened her eyes and heard several footsteps approaching. Terrified, she pressed her back against the wall hoping that the guards wouldn't see her even though it was pitch dark. Too late, they came closer and closer. One stopped at her cell while the other continued on. Against her better judgment, she slowly tiptoed to the side opposite the door. She froze not wanting to make a sound. She heard a click and the door swung open. Her heart was racing a hundred miles per hour and was so loud she thought the guards would hear it. He entered the room barely making a sound. She could hear him get closer- goose bumps formed on her arms and she shivered. Trying to make as little noise as possible she hugged the wall and began crawling towards the door. Just a few more feet and you'll be there. She felt him grab her shoulder. She screamed and rolled onto her side.   
  
"Leave me alone please," she begged as she tried pulling away. He grabbed her arm and held on. No matter how hard she tried yanking her hand, he still gripped it firm.   
  
"It's me Max."   
  
She stopped struggling and was motionless. "Max?" she asked unsure.   
  
He knelt down and placed his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes as new tears formed. He brushed them away with his thumb. "Max," she whispered. She crawled to him and held him in her arms. She buried her face in his shoulders not letting go. "I saw them take you away...they were dragging you. I thought they had..."   
  
"Shh, I'm okay." He felt horrible- he hated seeing her like this. She pulled away still holding his hand, "We should find the others." 


	8. Destiny unfoiled, shattered emotions

"You guys, check out what I found," exclaimed Alex, "I think it's a back up generator. If we can figure out how to turn it on, then we should be able to get some light in this place. I don't know about you, but my batteries are barely keeping this flashlight lit!"   
  
"Well, kick it or something," Tess suggested. The guys looked at her and shrugged. They were just as clueless when it came to fixing old rusty, generators too.   
  
"Is there like a battery in it?" asked Maria, "either that or you guys can make it work."   
  
"I recommend the 'making it work' part," voiced Alex. Being back in the dark wasn't his idea of fun.   
*************************************************************   
  
Max and Liz had groped their way through the darkness not knowing where they were headed. They traveled in silence.   
  
"Max, Alex and Maria are dead," she blurted out not knowing what else to say.   
  
He stopped and took hold of her shoulders, "It's not true, Liz. The guard was just playing a cruel joke on you. They are alive. You have to trust me on this. "   
  
"But how do you..." her voice cracking.   
  
"I overheard him saying so. Isabel is out there looking for Alex and Maria. As soon as we can, we're going to meet up with them."   
  
"Do you think Michael and Tess know where we are?"   
  
"I hope for our sake they do! It'd be a long way to walk."   
  
Just then the emergency lights turned on. They heard voices and a smile broke across both their faces. They began progressing faster towards them. "I'll race you to them," said Liz as she broke out into giggles of relief and ran towards her friends. As the two rounded the corner, they found their friends- all of them well and alive.   
  
"Oh my God, Liz you're okay!" exclaimed Maria. She threw herself around her friend almost cutting off her circulation.   
  
"Well, it looks like we're all in one piece!" said Michael.   
  
After everyone had calmed down, they followed Michael and Tess as they led them out of the compound. There was a large drop from the door to the floor of the compound. Apparently, it seemed that there used to be a ramp that connected the two but it had rotted through. As they walked out, Max helped Liz out the door but stopped when he felt her fingernails dig into his skin. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately feeling that something was wrong. All his friends had stopped dead in their tracks too. He looked at Liz. Her eyes were full of fear. She kept trying to something but no sound escaped her lips. Michael had a glare on his face and he was holding Maria behind him- positioning him between whoever was out there and Maria. Alex stood in front of Isabel and Tess pushing them back toward the door.   
  
Max pulled Liz away from the door and stood next to Alex, Tess and Isabel. He looked out and saw the Skin staring straight at them with an army of guards holding machine guns aimed at them. They were about 100 yards away. After quickly assessing the situation, he decided that the only thing they could do at this point was to use their powers. Either that or risk being:   
  
A) Torn apart by hundreds of bullets   
  
B) Being killed by the Skin   
  
C) Being captured by the FBI and playing the role of lab rats.   
  
He whispered to the others his plan. He ordered Alex and Maria to go back in the building with Liz and stay put.   
  
"I knew things couldn't be done so easily. Eventually, you all would have found a way out. Turns out that you escaped a little earlier than expected. I made a deal with a couple of doctors here. I'd turn you all over in return for a new husk, which had originally been destroyed a little while ago. Remember that? Well, I'm not going to die just because you weren't going to play nice with the doctors. As you can see, I have manpower to help convince all of you to return to your little cells and behave. I'd hate for anything to happen to you all."   
  
"I can assure you that there's no way we are going to go back in there without a fight!" yelled Michael.   
  
"There's no way out! Surrender now or prepare to be obliterated," warned the Skin.   
  
"We aren't doing any of the sort," said Max.   
  
"Really? Then as the saying goes- EAT THIS!" The Skin threw forth a powerful burst of energy, but they managed to get out of its way. Now Michael was by himself to the left of the door while Max, Tess, and Isabel were to the right.   
  
Michael was unfazed by the blast and used his power against the Skin. Before it reached him, the Skin had already put up a force field protecting it. The guardsmen couldn't believe what was going on. They looked like they were about to bail. The Skin yelled at them, "Shoot them. SHOOT!"   
  
Within seconds a barrage of bullets went off towards the four. Michael dived behind some metal cargo containers. Max put up his own force field while Isabel and Tess crowded near him for protection. "Tess, cover us!" yelled Max. Soon the four of them were cloaked by her power. Confused, the guards stopped shooting and stood there dumbfounded. How had they disappeared right in front of their eyes?   
  
Seizing the opportunity, Michael came out from his hiding place and sent out a couple of energy bursts towards them- not close enough to hurt anyone but close enough to cause even more confusion and commotion.   
  
"What the hell is going on?" asked one of them.   
  
"Don't pay attention to that. This is just a fancy special effects trick that they're using!" yelled the Skin. By the time he finished yelling, the guards had all abandoned their posts and were running away. The Skin glared angrily at them an unleashed an energy ball that engulfed them all and left ashes instead of corpses. "It's so hard to find good help these days." He brought his attention back to the Royal Four and began walking towards them.   
  
"What's he doing?" asked Tess.   
  
"I don't know but I'm not looking forward to it," said Isabel.   
  
As he neared them Max concentrated all his power on him. He was building it up, determined not to unleash it until the time was right. Seeing that Max was going to need some time before he would be ready and that Tess was preoccupied with cloaking everyone, the other two set out to distract the Skin.   
  
Isabel held her hand out gathering the energy she would need to faze the Skin. Michael did the same. In a matter of seconds, they were ready and let it loose. When they dust cleared, they saw that nothing had happened. The powerful enemy was fast approaching and they couldn't even deter it. Was this the end?   
  
Max stole a glance at Tess and saw her gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep them cloaked. He grabbed her hand in an effort to support her and himself that they could pull through this. He still needed to gather up more energy.   
  
"Where are you? I know you're here somewhere..." said the Skin as it walked forward. It thrust its hands every which way hoping to grasp one of them. Luckily, Michael and Isabel had moved out of its way. All the Skin had to do was take six steps to the right and it would have had Max and Tess. To draw it away from them, Michael played and invisible game of Tag with it. He ran behind it, slapped its back, duck and ran off in the opposite direction. While doing this, Isabel would send out mini-bombs to perplex the Skin even more.   
  
Max opened up his eyes, which were surging with energy. "I'm ready," he said in a tone that spooked the Skin. It looked up in bewilderment in the direction where Max had spoken. Then it hit him- he understood what he meant. At that moment Tess gave out. She had used up all of her energy and couldn't cloak her friends anymore.   
  
"Noooooooooooo!!!!" shrieked the Skin as a ball of violent swirling colors Max had created spun towards it. When it made contact with him, a bright, white light filled the sky. The four shielded their eyes and turned their heads away from it. Then all was silent. As the light slowly faded and the clear, blue sky came to view Max let out a sigh of relief. Tess fell back against the wall, and slumped to the floor pleased that the Skin was now history. Max breathed heavily, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of him. He joined Tess on the floor.   
  
She looked over at him. "You did it," she said.   
  
"No, we did it," Max told her as he grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes.   
  
Meanwhile, Isabel and Michael helped the others out of the compound. Liz was the last out. Alex embraced Isabel, as did Michael and Maria. Liz looked around for Max and froze, her lips tightening, as she saw him sitting next to Tess smiling and holding her hand. She didn't think it was humanly possible but her heart was broken yet again into another thousand pieces. She held back her tears knowing that there was nothing she could do. No matter what her feelings for Max were, things could never be the same. This was the way it had to be...   
The End 


End file.
